Rock Lee's Passion
by PointlessInhibitions
Summary: This is a story about Rock Lee's love intrest, a character I made up named Aria. This story contains some adult language and possibly some adult content.


Sakura didn't explain. She didn't have to. There was nothing to say, nothing to do. I still held my breath in anticipation, holding Sakura's shoulders from behind her. I don't think she knew why he was angry either.

Naruto's eyes grew darker, and we feared the kyuubi would emerge, and he would destroy us, but he pulled his emotions back, seemingly. "I just want to know...why are you going?" he asked slowly, quietly.

"Because Sasuke asked me to."

The answer that came out of her mouth surprised me and Naruto both! Neither of us was aware that she was even still in love with that fool, now he was asking her to go to him with a three-month-along baby in her belly that couldn't possibly be his? Her next words were even more shocking.

She sniffled and took a few deep breaths before the bombshell dropped: "It's not your baby, Naruto. I'm sorry. But it's just not. Sasuke...Sasuke is the father, not you. I can't let you take responsibility for what's not yours. Please forgive me."

Her last words, her plea for forgiveness, was directed at me.

"I never meant to keep this from you, from Lee, from Hinata, from Naruto. But please, Aria-kun, you must understand, somewhere in there, that I couldn't tell. I couldn't! My mother doesn't even know about Sasuke, about me seeing him. I don't know how, but I managed to find him. He has changed. He's different now!'

Perhaps she could see the looks of skepticism on our faces. I had long ago let go of her shoulders and stepped around to face her, no longer willing to protect her. She had to learn this on her own. I wasn't going to stand by and be made a fool of, not by her, the lying little wench! I glared at her as she explained why she'd been drunk that night, how she had immediately felt guilty for doing such a thing with Sasuke, then taking advantage of Naruto's emotions. Especially after drinking!

In my case, her words, her further pleas, fell on deaf ears.

My heart had calloused itself from her. And yet...I still felt compelled to hold her while she again began sobbing and wailing, almost screaming with hysterics! Her mother entered the room and steered her away from us and out of sight.

Looks exchanged between Naruto and I. We knew better than to be dooped by Sasuke. He was luring poor Sakura into his sick little trap. No doubt he would tolerate her until the baby's birth and then take the infant and leave her, or worse, kill her! But how to make a pregnant teenager realize that the love of her life was scamming her, that was our current problem.

I touched Naruto's elbow and we left silently, returning to my room. Rock Lee wasn't there, as I'd hoped. I so much wanted to apologize for yelling at him.

We sat on a bench that ran along one wall of the room, under a row of windows. I sat on the opposite end of Naruto, a bit wary, and kind of freaked out. We were quiet for a long while, both afraid to speak. It had been a long time since I'd been with Naruto in a room that was devoid of other people.

It was a bit uncomfortable at first, his deep blue eyes on me cautiously, as though trying not to notice that I was a female. I smirked, turning away to hide it, but judging by the stunned look on his face, I gathered that he had seen. He said nothing, though, only cleared his throat to fill the silence.

Finally, I spoke. "Do you really think the baby belongs to Sasuke?"

"No," he said shortly. "I don't. He's either brainwashing her, or she's lying."

"Well, you should know if she's lying or not, you've known her for so long! I mean, Sasuke hasn't been back to the village since he left, I don't see why he would want Sakura to have his baby, where would he go? Where would either of them go? I mean, we all know Hinata's baby is yours, she would never have slept with someone else. She's too shy for that, but...what are Sakura's motives?"

Naruto's face lit up with an idea. "Maybe he really did ask her to bear his child, but she didn't know if he had successfully impregnated her, so she came to me, drunk as a skunk. I don't see any other explaination."

"She could have merely been depressed, though, because of Sasuke's distance, and so she drank herself into a stupor and headed to your house." I paused to think for a moment. "Why did you do it, Naruto? Why make love to Hinata, then to Sakura, within hours of each other? Hinata's heart is probably broken now, because you got Sakura knocked up too!" I cried, throwing my hands up dramatically. "We really should go and see her, Naruto."

Naruto's face fell as he rethought his actions. Maybe he wasn't as smart as I had once thought him to be. And yet, he stood and looked at me expectantly. I realized that we were heading for the Hyuuga clan's home, to see her. At least he was doing SOMETHING right!

We arrived at Hinata's house soon after departing from my room at the inn, surprised to see her laying on her side on a fleece blanket out in the grass, basking in the sunlight. Tears had dried upon her cheeks, and as I stepped forward to touch her, she turned her face away, her longer hair falling across her face. Naruto hung back, unsure of whether or not he should approach.

I didn't blame him for his hesitation, but he seemed rather much like he didn't want to be anywhere near her. I knelt beside my friend, reaching out and brushing the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. New tears had arisen and were now streaking down her face, her shame on display for the world to see. I didn't want to end up like her, but oh how she seemed to shrivel before me. I curled up beside her, our knees touching, my body facing hers.

"Hinata, honey, please don't cry," I whispered, reaching an arm around her shoulders. She began sobbing, her body shaking violently with each laborous tear. "I'll be here for you always," I said, kissing her warm forehead.

She looked up at me, still sobbing, trying to manage a smile, to make me feel better! I laughed a little, tears of my own welling up, burning behind my lids. I hated to cry, for each tear was cursed. They came, one by one, red as blood, and stained my skin so the whole world could see my weakness, leaving behind what was similar to a scar, as permanent as Naruto's whisker markings. I had set many people searching my face for the reason why I had red streaks down my face. And so I fought the tears, fought the solitude, and wept without visible tears.

Hinata searched my eyes and saw how sad I was. She leaned in and kissed me full on the lips, passionate, longing. I heard the hard thud of Naruto's body hitting the ground behind us, but neither of us cared, and she continued to kiss me. But a large hand grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me away from her and up onto my feet.

I gagged and gasped for breath, my hands reaching up to my now aching throat as I looked around for my assailant, but there was no one there...

"I'm tired," Naruto said, yawning, as we gathered ourselves up and headed back to the inn. Rock Lee was sitting on the bench in the dark when we entered, his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "Hey there, Lee, what's goin' on?"

I shot Naruto a look and approached cautiously. Lee moved swiftly, encircling me into his arms, his embrace tender and loving, and I knew he forgave me. Somehow, I lost control and began to sob, my face leaned against his chest, my body shaking not from sobs, but from the overwhelming feelings rushing into me.

"I'm...so...sorry!" I gasped between sobs.

Lee just shushed me and sat us both down on the bench, not letting go of me for a second. We just sat and left poor Naruto to fend for himself for a while, longing to be alone so we could repeat the night before. Lee was ever tender, stroking my hair and holding me, his eyes locked on Naruto who sat at the table.

Finally, I pulled away and silently went into the bathroom to gaze at my reflection in the mirror. Alas, the blood red streaks had appeared. I was ashamed of my weaknesses and those that made me cry became my enemies. I'd had streaks on my face when first I had arrived, but they had faded over the years that I had been living in the Hidden Leaf Village.

I grabbed a towel and ran it under the water, then lifted the cold cloth to my face and wiped the remnants of my tears away.

Slowly, exhausted from my good cry, I went back into the kitchen and began to make some instant ramen for the three of us. Naruto's face brightened as I gave him his cup first. I served Lee next, then sat down with my own cup. It had been a long day, and now it was time to unwind.


End file.
